Archive for December, 2013

After CDing for 4 months now, we have had some diaper issues. Our hook and loop closure diapers were starting to lose stick power. This means Lil Miss could move half a centimeter and the waist closure would pop open and then we’d have ourselves a pee incident.

Here is the problem:

Look at all that gunk in there. It might not seem like much, but it hinders how well the diaper closes at the waist.

Now, I saw YouTube videos saying to use a fine tooth comb or a Snappi diaper tie. My MIL and I attempted the comb maneuver and got nothing but broken comb teeth. I tried to painstakingly pick at it with tweezers. Talk about hand cramps! I wasn’t going to order a Snappi. While at the store, I found a dog brush. This one:

Within a minute, this much gunk came out by brushing the hooks:

Now the hook part looks like this:

GamerDad even tested it and agrees that it sticks so much better! Forget sending them to the company to get the hooks and loops replaced! That is a real time stinker and stash stealer if you are strapped for diapes! Spend $3 and do it yourself.

Today is the feast day of The Holy Family. The readings for Mass today focus on love, forgiveness, and obedience.
Our family was unable to attend Mass today as we are still infested with germs. However, whenever we do have Sunday’s like this, I pull out the Missal and read the scripture to the family. The readings struck several chords within because I know our family has some improving to do. We need to look to The Holy Family as role models for our own families.
They always acted out of love. They listened to God (obedience). And they forgave those who hurt them. Forgiveness comes from love and so does obedience.
Our boys had a horrid dispute over toy gold doubloons not but an hour after I read and explained the scripture. Instead of getting hot and angry, I pulled this off our mantle:

It is carved out of Olive wood from Bethlehem and it depicts the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt as today’s readings mentioned.

I showed the boys the carving and asked them how they thought The Holy Family acted. They came to the conclusion that biting and hitting (yes, that transpired today from the boys) are not actions of love. We went to the root of the problem, anger. Then we discussed how to fix that. We agreed that whenever we get angry we need to go to the carving and remember to LOVE.

Then the boys went around finding the other decorations with the Holy Family. After that, the boys did this:

I have read in many places to shoot breast milk up baby’s nose if they are congested. Last night, I got desperate and let science win. I hand expressed some milk and put it in a medicine dropper and then used it as I would saline solution. It was much gentler and more pleasant than salt water flooding my nostrils! Did it work? For the most part, it did. It coated my nostrils well enough that I wasn’t blowing my nose every 30 seconds. Plus, it was a dose of antibodies of what I am already fighting, double win.
By 11:30 at night, I was feeling gross again and I discovered Gamer Dad’s stash of Breathe Right strips. What a difference! I can breathe through my nose again!

It sickens me that promises are being broken left and right with our service men and women. They did what they signed up to do and fulfilled their end of the contract, the government has failed their end of the bargain. Please write to your Congressmen and get your voice heard!

I’m sure you’ve by now seen the fury directed at congress. The new budget deal is attempting to save money by reducing retirement benefits by a measly 1%. So why all the fuss?

For several reasons actually:

The money they’ll save by doing this will barely make a dent in the interest owed by the government on its loans.

The military retirees worked long and hard doing a thankless job, at low pay, and this was their reward.

When you join the military you go in knowing if you slog it out for twenty years (and during that time you’ll be away from your family, shot at, live in conditions at times that even the US poor would shun, miss major events like birthdays, funerals, weddings, the birth of your own child…) you’ll be ‘taken care of’.

Military has few benefits; commissary, Px, health care and retirement.

I am clouded in mucous thanks to a URI -and- sinus infection. A fever almost reached 101. It all started Christmas afternoon. Usually I get Bronchitis for Christmas, so this was a nice change. 😛 Purgatory has been prayed for a lot!

I left urgent care with antibiotics, a steroid, and Flonase. I am only using the antibiotics and natural remedies. What remedies are these?

Well, I Googled some at a 3am nursing/blowing my nose into oblivion session. I had already been drinking tea with fenugreek. Not only does it boost lactation, but it helps keep mucous away. Saline solution, it helps flush all that crud out. I want to drown my nose in it and I -hate- using the stuff. I just highly dislike being a mouth breather. Lemon tea with honey will not only keep me from sounding like Demi Moore, but the lemon cuts into the mucous to make it easier to hack up and the honey will soothe my throat. Yes, I am using local, raw honey!

As for the new stuff: eucalyptus oil. I have some on hand for wipe solution and for rash cream, all cloth diaper safe. If you have ever used Vicks, then you know how powerful eucalyptus is. Well, I went to sprinkle some in the bottom of the shower before I got in. I forgot the 4oz bottles do not have a dropper. Yep, I showered with 1oz of the oil in the shower. Perks, I could breathe and kids and hubby left me alone because they were gagging. For a mom of three and someone who rarely gets bathroom privacy, it was golden! Best shower ever!
I am now cutting dairy out, and not because of mild lactose intolerance (which I do have). Dairy has a protein that ups mucous production. I want the snot to dry up and my poor nose to heal up. My daily cup of yogurt is eliminated and I took a probiotic to counter the antibiotic removing my “good” gut bacteria.
Water is consumed well by me, but a glass of water every hour is supposed to help. Yesterday I consumed 3 liters of water plus two huge mugs of tea. I have had one mug of tea and four glasses of water do far. 😛 I am not aiming to drink at night aside from at nursing sessions. This would also be why nights stink.
I am also plotting on how to get raw garlic into my meals. Dinner tonight will be breakfast for dinner. Perhaps I can grate some on my hashbrowns (done in my waffle maker so they won’t be fried…fried stuff also boosts mucous production). My eggs will drown in salsa and Tabasco sauce. Spice helps thin out the thick, nasty mucous (are you tired of that word yet? I am).

Veiling has been tugging at me for a year and a half to two years now. It has intrigued me and intimidated me. I tried to win veils in contests, using the excuse that if I didn’t win, I didn’t need to do it. However, after being at the Carmelite Hermitage on the 1st, I knew that I had to do it. I felt naked, surrounded by women in veils. My husband told me to go order one and I have. It is a beautiful ivory and lavender colored veil, probably longer than it needs to be, but I plan to get my hair to my waist before I chop it off again. All of that does not matter. The article shared here is what does matter. It is a more in depth reason(s) to veil. Answers that I could not articulate well enough to my husband. May this help other women dive on in like I am about to.

P.S. Do nancy if my veiling/mantilla friends have tips on keeping the veil in one place on my head? Do I need to see a comb to it? Do I need to wear my hair a certain way?

My favorite part of the craziness was helping to decorate our church on Monday. Here are some snapshots:

The first one is our lil lady and her Godmother who headed the decorating this year. Our parish has new trees and banners. All the flowers are fresh and parishioners are encouraged to take some home after the Christmas season (Epiphany).

We have continued the wisemen moving about in search of Jesus.

We also baked sugar cookies after passing out a variety of cookies to our neighbors:

And we made homemade donuts that had a mixed review over here. GamerDad is accustomed to the fried version, we baked them so they aren’t squishy soft. Middle man likes the donut holes, where the oldest and I like the donuts. I baked the scraps too and they resemble uteri in my opinion lol!